Beautiful Misery
by silenced-and-blinded
Summary: **CHAPTER 2 UP** Leah has endured abuse from her mother's boyfriend for the last time. When she runs away to Balamb, can she finally find peace? And when she meets a boy named Seifer, can she finally find love? R&R pls!!
1. Runaway

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII or anyone from it.  I only own Leah.

A/N: This fic (as with my others) were deleted for some unknown reason, so I'm posting them again.  Hope you enjoy this, as it's my first angsty fic.  

            Leah splashed ice-cold water onto her aching face from the faucet.  It stung her wounds, but she knew eventually it would make them feel better with time.  After letting the water drip from her skin, she shut the water off and reached for the cotton towel she had laid on the table beside the sink.  She blotted the water off her face, holding the towel again it for a while as she took a quick glance in the mirror.

            Her chocolate, spiraled hair hung limp around her now pale face.  Her eyes, once two pools of emerald, were now blackened and swollen.  She removed the towel from her face, revealing several slashes scattering her porcelain face.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw what Dante had done to her.  It had been more than just that time; many, many more times this had happened before.  

            Dante was her mother Krystah's boyfriend.  She had met him shortly after her father, Jenova, had been violently murdered.  That was around a year and a half ago.  Still, no one had caught Jenova's killer.  That meant he was still out there, which was what Leah felt the worst about.   She prayed every single night that somehow, her dad wasn't dead.  She knew it wouldn't happen, but she felt a little better every time she did it, anyway.

            After about three or four months, along came Dante.  He moved in next door, but had took a liking to her mother.  He would come over almost everyday after they'd met.  He'd comfort her when she cried, and was always willing to simply listen to her grieve.  

            Leah didn't like the idea of a new man being in her home so shortly after the tragedy, but it seemed to make her mom happy, at least a little bit.  She put up with it for a while, even though Dante never seemed to like her.  Leah would always try and be nice and put on a show while he was a guest, but he didn't seem to recognize the fact that she was willing to befriend him.  He only wanted her mother as company.

            On one of the night's that Krystah had to work late, Dante came over, hoping to find her.  Leah had told him politely that she was working, but he rammed his way through the door anyway.  "Where the hell is she?!" he'd cried, knocking over tables and chairs.

            "Get the hell outta here!" Leah shouted back.  She hardly felt scared of the man, only angry at him for acting the way he was.  Who did he think he was, anyway?  Leah continued to curse him and said she'd call the police, but he didn't seemed to be phased by her threats.  It was either he didn't care, or he didn't believe her.  

            He grabbed her by the throat and held her against the wall.  "Where is she?!?!" he screamed right in her ears.  She could've sworn they were bleeding from the loudness.  

            "How many times do I gotta tell you?!  She's working!!" Leah shouted back.  He flung her into the opposing wall hard, glanced around one last time, then headed for the door.  

            "Don't worry, girl.  I'll kick your ass even better next time," he said before leaving.

            Leah stood up from the floor, wincing as her right leg took pressure.  She wasn't sure if it was broken, but she knew something was most definitely wrong with it.  "What was that all about?" she asked herself as she hobbled to the kitchen for ice.

            It had been hard work, but she'd managed to clean up Dante's mess before her mother had gotten home.  Krystah didn't say anything to her fifteen-year-old daughter.  She just shuffled off to her bedroom and cried.  That's all she ever did was cry.  Leah was about to tell her about Dante's fit, but she didn't have the heart to.  She already felt worse, and even though Dante was horrible to her, he was kind to her mother.  She just didn't have it in her to take that away from the woman who'd done so much for her all her life.

            That had only been the first time Dante had caused her physical harm.  She'd received many beatings after that, but only when her mother wasn't around and he was looking for her.  Dante never seemed to aim his anger at Leah, she just always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  She hated keeping such a horrible thing from her mother, but as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

            Now, she knew she couldn't take it anymore.  Almost two years later, Dante still hadn't changed.  And most likely, nothing would ever change, because just that day, Krystah had told Leah that she and Dante were engaged.

            Leah knew she had to leave.  Where she would go, that was another story.  She'd cross that bridge when she got there.  Although she'd heard of a lovely place called Balamb once…

So, what do you think?  I know it's short, but I was writing this at like 11 at night.  Gotta go where inspiration takes ya, no matter what time it is.  Well, R&R pls!!  Check out my other fics as well. ^_^  If I get good reviews, I'll continue!         


	2. The First Dance

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8, I just own Riva.  The song in this fic is called "I Could Fall In Love" by Selena and isn't mine either.

A/N: Pls review and check out my other stories as well!  Especially Painful Blood in the FF8 section!!!!!      

Leah walked into the Balamb Hotel, only to find more noise than she wanted to hear at that particular time.  Her head was already aching something fierce, and she just felt like going to bed.  No one was at the front desk when she got there, so she proceeded into the next room in order to find someone to check her in.

            Dozens of people were neatly dressed and some were dancing in the middle of the floor.  Looking down at her baggy jeans and baby doll tee, she felt horribly out of place.  Music played on a large sound system that was at the opposite end of the grand room.  It didn't seem like a hotel at all.

            She glanced over to her left and saw a sign that said, "Fantasy Dance Ball, 6pm – 11:30pm."  She decided that there were plenty more hotels in Balamb, so she began to head for the door, when an arm reached out and held the door shut.  She looked up and saw a blonde haired teenage boy, approximately her age, with glittering emerald eyes and a captivating smile.  

            "Leaving so soon?" he asked with a smirk.

            She pushed his arm from in front of the door and pulled it open without saying a word to him.  He followed her still.  "What do you _want_?!" she finally exclaimed, seeing as how he wasn't about to leave her alone until she spoke to him.

            "A big cranky, aren't we?" he asked still smiling.

            "Who are you anyway?!" she asked with her eyes burning wildly.

            He just smiled.  "Seifer Almasy.  And you are?"

            "Nobody who's any business of yours," she said as she sidestepped and walked past him.

            "Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Wait a minute, is there something wrong?" he asked grasping her arm.

            "It's not really any of yours business Seifer," Leah replied as she pulled away from him.

Seifer let out a laugh.  "I get it.  You're one of those girls who think every guy in the world isn't good enough for them, right?" he asked.  Leah turned around and stared him right in the eyes.

            "Who the hell are you, the FBI that you gotta know everything about me?!" she snapped.

            Seifer's face became serious.  She certainly was fiery, but he had the strangest feeling she was in trouble.  "What's your problem?!"

            Leah stood there and began massaging her sinuses.  "I'm sorry," she said with a deep, deep sigh.  "My name's Leah."  She looked up at him again.  "Nice to meet you, Seifer."

            He smiled again.  "The feeling's mutual, believe me," he said, "You were the prettiest girl there."

            Leah shook her head.  "Yeah, sure.  I didn't look _half _as good as some of those other girls.  You know it."

            "Well…. Maybe you're clothes are a little ratty…."

            "Hey!"

            "But your face more than makes up for it," he added with a playful grin.

            Leah just gave a small smile.  She was a little afraid to do anything more, as she didn't even know the guy.  "After the hell you just put me through tryin' to get your name, I think you owe me a dance, at least," he said holding his arm out.  She stood there for a moment, then took it and the both of them walked back into the hotel.

            "I'm really bad at this," she whispered as they entered the beautifully decorated room once again.  "Dancing I mean."

            Seifer let out a chuckle.  "You can't be that bad.  All girls have rhythm.  It's the guy's who always dance like a drunk chicken." 

            Leah laughed as well as they walked out together on the dance floor.  Seifer put his arms around her waist gently and she put her arms around his neck.

_I could lose my heart tonight   
If you don't turn and walk away   
'Cause, the way I feel, I might   
Lose control and let you stay   
'Cause I could take you in my arms   
And never let go_

****For the first time since Leah had left, she was happy.  In the back of her head though, she was still feeling very guilty about leaving her mother in such a state that she couldn't even sleep at night.  She was all right when Dante was around, but when he was, that made _Leah _unhappy.

_I could fall in love with you   
I could fall in love with you_

            "Havin' fun?" he asked lowly.

_I can only wonder how   
Touching you would make me feel   
But, if I take that chance right now   
Tomorrow, will you want me still?   
So I should keep this to myself   
And never let you know_

            Leah nodded slowly with a small smile across her lips.  _I wonder what Mom's doing? _she thought.  _I hope Dante doesn't decide to throw a fit around her…_

_I could fall in love with you  
I could fall in love with you_

            "Hey, is somethin' bothering you?" Seifer asked, "Either that or you're just an awfully quiet girl."

            "No… there's nothing wrong," she replied unconvincingly.  She avoided his questioning eyes and kept hers to the floor.

_And I know it's not right and I guess I should try  
To do what I should do  
But I could fall in love with you  
I could fall in love with you_

            He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head so her eyes met his.  "Look, I know you probably don't trust me yet, but I just want to let you know that you _can _talk to me about whatever's on your mind."

            She didn't say anything as she felt the hotness of tears well up in her eyes.  "All right.  But… I don't wanna talk here," she said as they stopped dancing.

            Seifer didn't seem to be in a joking mood anymore.  "I'll take you to the beach.  We'll be alone there."  He began leading her out the door.

            Her mind was cursing her.  What would her mother think and say?  How responsible could she be if she was going off with the first guy she met?  That didn't matter though, because she wasn't going back home again anyway.  At the same time, her heart seemed to be longing to go with him.  Her heart seemed to know that Seifer could be trusted.

Well, there's the next chapter.  Hope ya'll like it, cause I think it's getting pretty interesting don't you?  ^_~  What are Seifer's plans for Leah?  Find out in the next chapter.  Review please!!!! 


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